Nurmengard Chains
by Cate Eliot
Summary: It was 1944 when Albus Dumbledore and several teams of Aurors liberated Grindelwald's prison during the Great War. They broke free the dozens of captives and lost souls held there only to find a surprise chained in the most heavily guarded tower cell. Her name was Minerva McGonagall and she was the reason Albus Dumbledore came.
1. Mission

**A/N: All characters and places belong to J.K. Rowling and affiliates. Only the plot line and OC's belong to me. This is NOT connected or related to my other story with Minerva, "Eyes of the Tempest". I have update the first chapter and have been working on the next few sections. Please review!**

_*The Great War 1944*_

Junior Auror Melanie Ramirez swallowed thickly as she watched the girl interact with her Professor. The sun was setting just outside of the makeshift camp. Inside one of the smaller tents, the dark hair girl sat up in the army bed with Albus Dumbledore.

He was speaking softly to her, his words seemed to calm her. His larger and calloused hand was wrapped around her smaller slender one with their fingers intertwined.

She was ghostly pale and looked unwell. Ramirez was surprised the healer had let Dumbledore inside after the shape the girl was in after they eradicated the prison. She was among the most heavily wounded and had almost been lost twice in surgery.

Outside the tent, sounds of soldier's voices and running feet echoed around them. The tent flap swung open to reveal a ragged looking man with long and messy bronze hair. He was in his mid-forties and wore black robes, smeared with blood and dust from the recent battle.

"Junior Auror Ramirez, may I speak to you outside, please?"

She immediately rose from her stool to follow him outside. "The rest of Nurmengard has evacuated and those needing lifesaving medical attention are being treated as we speak. How is Miss McGonagall?"

"She's not well, sir. She's remained conscious since the healer injected a Muggle drug called adrenaline into her system, but he says it will be touch and go for a few days before she stabilizes. Professor Dumbledore is with her now."

The man growled under his breath and rubbed his face agitatedly. She watched him with wide eyes. Alastor Moody, the legendary Auror Leader, was not known for showing his emotions other than his anger at Dark Wizards or annoyance at junior Aurors.

"Look Ramirez, I have an assignment for you. You cannot being to fathom how important this is to win the war against the Blackcoats and Grindelwald."

"Okay, sir."

"I need you to stay here with McGonagall. Sources inside the say that she was one of the most highly guarded prisoners in the entire place which means she was valuable. She could have the answers we need to bring down Grindelwald. Things she may have seen or may have heard could be crucial to our success."

Ramirez glanced back at the heavy duty levitating tarp that housed the girl.

"She's only fifteen sir. Do you think she could really hold the key to bringing them down?" She ran a hand through the little strands of blonde hair that had fallen out of her pony tail since the morning she had pulled it up.

Moody gave her a maul of a grin. "Do you know who she is?" he growled, nodding towards the tent. Ramirez shook her head automatically; something she learned early on when joining the Aurors.

"She's Dumbledore's prodigy. The thing can do doctorate level magic with a bat of her pretty little eyelashes. She the greatest Transfiguration genius since Dumbledore himself and he claims she's much more advanced than he was at her age, not to mention she's Muggleborn. I need you to befriend her, Auror, I need to gain her trust, make her open up to you and tell you about her captivity."

"But, sir—"

"Cut the 'sir' crap, Ramirez," he cut her off, folding his arms over his chest. He smeared some of the still half wet blood on his jacket, but the man didn't seem to notice. "If you can pull this off, then you will be moved up the ranks so quickly the other Junior Aurors will be reporting to you."

The promise of success made Melanie swallowed quickly and her heart beat a little faster. "I understand, but what about Dumbledore? Wouldn't he be better suited to talk to her?"

Moody frowned and ran a hand over the fresh cut on his cheek that would scar to add another white line to his collection all over his body.

"Albus cares for her. How deeply, romantically, or emotionally, I don't know, but we don't have time to be gentle with her. She's a big girl, she'll survive it. We need that information. The only question is, are you going to get it for me?"

"I—of course, sir, _er_ Moody."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"Come on there, I'll introduce you lot," he said, moving back towards the tent. He opened the door and both Dumbledore and the girl immediately looked up to him. Dumbledore's hand flashed towards his wand, but he relaxed when he saw Moody.

"Albus, this is Melanie Ramirez. She's going to keep an eye on Miss McGonagall, if that's all right, of course," he said courteously, nodding towards the girl sitting next to Albus.

Ramirez gave both the esteemed professor and McGonagall a nervous smile which Dumbledore only nodded to. Her eyes found the girl who seemed so small and childlike covered in thick blankets and sitting next to the tall Dumbledore.

Her deep green eyes looked her over with clear intelligence and interest.

"I think that will be quite all right, Alastor, right Minerva?" he questioned lightly, turning back towards the girl. Only after a moment did Minerva turn to look back at Dumbledore's face. She inclined her head ever so slightly and squeezed his hand once.

The Auror inwardly sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

_ *The Great War 1944*_

Melanie stood with her fellow Aurors as Alastor Moody and Auror Deputy Gawain Robards stood in front of them silently. Melanie's teammates stood with her.

Robards looked like a wet lion with wild brown hair and eerie gray eyes. He wore a ripped uniform and resembled Moody with his body wracked full of scars.

The whispering in the crowd ceased when he raised his hand. "Today we storm Nurmengard," Robards said gruffly. "Today, we took the first step in taking back out country from the hands of the Dark Lord, Grindelwald."

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Melanie smiled broadly as the euphoria rose around her. Robards waited until they had quieted down before speaking again. "Some of you fought alongside us, others stayed here and held down the fort. When we eradicated the prison, Grindelwald wasn't present. Nor was his second in command, Macnair. We captured a handful of Blackcoats and our most advanced interrogators at working on them as we speak. The rest of their ranks are still out there. The best thing to do now is rest, take care of the survivors. They need our help now."

He turned his back and marched towards the large tent parked right in front of the prison gates. Moody folded his arms in front of his chest, sizing up the crowd.

"You heard Robards. We camp here. It may be some time before we pack out trash and leave. Our priority now is the survivors and what's left in the prison. You know your assignments. Don't fail us. Don't fail your people. Don't fail magic." Melanie felt his eyes linger on her form from the crowd.

With that followed Robards into the night.

"Crazy right? To think that with another few attacks like these the war could be over?" Melanie wordlessly nodded to her teammate and friend from Hogwarts, Jack Hessle, as she followed him back towards their tent.

Her other teammates chattered away about how they wished they had been in the battle rather than scouting for Blackcoats on the perimeter, Melanie caught sight of Dumbledore's form still sitting with McGonagall's small frame in the tent off to the side.

The battle may be over she realized, but the war was still very much alive.


	2. Mute

**A/N: All characters and places belong to J.K. Rowling and affiliates. Only the plot line and OC's belong to me. If you haven't read the updated version of chapter one I would do so before reading this! All feedback is helpful so please comment. Please review!**

Melanie finished braiding her blonde hair as she sat across the tent from McGonagall. The girl had been sick three days earlier and had taken another week to recovery from more internal bleeding. However as the new week dawned, the girl seemed to be more awake and responsive.

She however still refused to speak.

"You're obviously not from London," Melanie continued, watching her. Minerva watched her back with dark green eyes, shining with intelligence. "Probably not from anywhere in England actually. I'm from London and you don't look you're a city girl to me. Where are you from?"

If the girl was going to answer, she was cut off by the tent flap opening, shedding sunlight inside, and revealing Dumbledore, Moody, and another man.

"Good afternoon, Miss McGonagall. I'm Healer Maguire. I was hoping to take a look at you if that's all right?" Minerva's eyes flickered over to Dumbledore before nodding once.

His exam took only a few minutes as she read the symbols and letters that glowed as he cast a diagnostic spell over her. She held perfectly still as he worked. The only movement was the slight up and down of her chest as she breathed.

The surgeon had propped her up against the side of the tent in an army bed. The sheets around her body were an ugly green and she wore a man's tee shirt that was much too big for her little body. It was clear she was ill and underweight from starvation. Her cheeks were gaunt and pale, her eyes had deep circles under them from sleep loss and sickness.

The only thing that didn't fit was her eyes that seemed alight in the dim room.

"Your magical signature is one of the strongest I've ever seen, Miss McGonagall. I bet you're at the top of your class," Maguire said soothingly, as he waved his wand over some of the gold lettering.

The girl smiled slightly.

"She is," Dumbledore confirmed, a hint of pride in his voice. He stood near the edge of the bed, watching the numbers himself.

After a while the numbers faded and Maguire nodded satisfied. "Miss McGonagall, do you know the year?"

Minerva watched him for a moment before the numbers 1947 appeared in the air in front of them. They were script and golden. The number floated for a handful of seconds before dissipating.

"Ah, wandless magic. This is good news indeed."

"Good news, sir?" Melanie spoke from the side of the room. The doctor turned to look at her for a moment before nodding with a wide smile.

"Yes, the magical signature of those with wandless and nonverbal magical abilities are often were often used for healing rituals in the ancient days," Maguire explained.

"The ancient Egyptian transfigurists," Dumbledore said.

"Exactly. It means that she could potentially heal herself faster than healers ever could. It's a processes like potions and spells, but a much safer one, not to mention faster. I believe that's why you are already conscious and responsive."

"When can she start walking around?" Dumbledore asked.

"A week, perhaps a little earlier. It would be good to try and get some food and fluids into her before she starts to walk around. I have a feeling you don't like to sit around much, do you?"

Minerva shook her head.

"A week, then we will reassess. The main thing is to prevent any more internal bleeding and allow her magic to stabilize. When both are safe, we can begin to add in some movement."

The doctor rose up from his spot on the bed. Minerva's hand shot out and grabbed the healer's wrist with one hand, meanwhile the other hand drew a small golden cat in the air.

"A cat? I'm afraid I don't understand, Miss McGonagall," he said hesitatingly, turning to look at the other two. Moody looked just as confused, but Dumbledore's eyes were locked on the girl.

After a moment she nodded reassuringly to him and he cleared his throat. "Minerva is an unregistered animagus," Dumbledore revealed hesitantly. Moody swore loudly and the doctor's eyes widened considerably. "Her alternate form is a cat. I believe she is asking you if it is safe for her to transform."

Maguire wiped his head with his handkerchief before answering.

"I'm no expert on alternate forms of magic or transfiguration. Animagi are exceedingly rare and complex magic. I have no idea if it would be safe for you to transform. I would wait for everything to stabilizing before attempting a transformation, just to be sure. I believe you would be a better judge of that, yourself."

He gave her a small smile and a nod before exiting the tent. The other two men followed.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" Moody asked eagerly as Dumbledore shot him a heavy frown as the three stood near Alastor's tent.

The healer sighed carefully peering down at his notes. "I believe I understand what's made her unable to speak, yes, as for the trauma of being held against her will, there could be several other complications than just the internal bleeding.

"I believe Miss McGonagall has a rare type of disassociation. I've never seen it in a young woman before, but it seems to present itself in a similar way as some of the other high level soldiers I examined from the Middle East. In order to keep information from those hurting her, she talked herself into forgetting how to speak in order to keep silent."

There was a short pause.

"She made herself mute?" Moody said with an eyebrow raised.

Maguire chuckled.

"No, no, more like her subconscious simply shut that part of herself down for a time. She still _could_ speak and since she's been rescued, I don't understand why she wouldn't, but you see how she doesn't try to communicate through words? Her mind still thinks in them, she still hears them and processes them like that, but it's as if her subconscious remembers her vow to remain silent and is continuing to hold it."

Dumbledore ran a finger down his short beard, clearly in thought. "Minerva values bravery and loyal above all else. She's very protective over her those she loves. Do you think she still believes we are in danger if she speaks?"

"That may well be it. I don't know why she hasn't spoken even simply sentences, though. She doesn't appear to suffer empathy for her captors nor does she still think she's being held against her will," the healer said with a slight shrug. "She's only fifteen. This kind of trauma to her system can be a lot to handle. The fact she is even cognitive and awake is a miracle in itself."

Moody growled under his breath. "Can we make her speak? She could have important information against the Blackcoats. We could be wasting valuable time to move against them before the information goes out of date."

Maguire's blue eyes darkened and his nose wrinkled in distaste. "Of course not! If she held the silence this long, you won't be able to get her to. I think it will come back in a time for need or more probably when she once again feels safe and secure. You forget, she's been through an extensive trauma for anyone, let alone a little girl."

"Is there anything we can do to help her?" Dumbledore asked quickly.

The healer hesitated. "Her magical signature is strong. Stronger than any I've seen. Her body will heal if her magic continues to repair itself. You want to make her feel safe and hopefully begin to move her back into society slowly. She'll no doubt have trouble before she can actually even try to go back to her former life, but with the support of those who care for her, I believe she will begin to heal."

"How long before we should see some changes?"

Dumbledore turned towards Moody with an angry look. The fire in his eyes didn't seem to die as the healer spoke again, somewhat impatiently.

"It may take time for her to adjust back to a somewhat normal lifestyle. After a while, she probably didn't think she would live to see the outside of that prison again, let alone the ones she loved and was stolen from. I will be back later in the week to check up on her again. Good day, gentlemen."


	3. Kitten

**A/N: All characters and places belong to J.K. Rowling and affiliates. Only the plot line and OC's belong to me. All feedback is helpful so please comment. The more feedback I get, the faster I update. Be sure to read the previous two updated chapters. We get some more of the backstory this chapter. Enjoy and please review.**

Melanie split her time between sitting with Minerva and helping her fellow Aurors go through the rest of Grindelwald's prison, looking for files, traps, and clues that may lead them to where the Blackcoats and Grindelwald were hiding.

She had spent another dozen fruitless hour trying to get Minerva to open up to her before coming outside for some air and running into Albus Dumbledore.

"Good morning, Auror Ramirez. How are you this fine morning," the red haired Professor said with a polite smile.

"I, er—good. How are you, sir?"

"Quite well, thank you. Just some curse breaking over at the prison, but alas, no success," he said lightly before giving her another smile and walking towards Moody's tent.

"Professor, can I ask you something?" she called after him. He turned half way and walked back to her. Dumbledore nodded and folded his hands behind his back, pensively. "Of course. Let us walk around the edge of the camp, yes?"

She swallowed and nodded. The handsome and intelligent professor always made her flustered. She matched his stride as they walked the edge of the encampment and forest. Dozens of tents were set up in a semi-circle around the prison. Some of the survivors were sitting out with the Aurors on blankets in the grass, playing chess and other games or simply relaxing in the sun.

"Who is she, sir?"

He smiled quietly, almost to himself.

"Her name is Minerva."

A nervous giggle escaped Melanie. "Yes, I know her name sir, but who is she. I can't get her to talk to me, she refuses to write anything down, let alone open up. I … I don't know what to do to help her."

Albus stroked his beard warily. "Minerva is perhaps the most wildly intelligent, passionate, brave person I have ever met. Even so she is intensely private. You help her by being a reoccurring presence, something that is always present and is quietly accepting."

"You seem like you know her well, professor."

Dumbledore's cheeks flushed and he smiled slightly. "Minerva and I are very close," he responded diplomatically. Melanie smirked at his embarrassment. She decided not to push her luck.

"She's not from England," she said, not really questioning it.

Dumbledore shook his head. "Minerva's family lives in Caithness, on the coast of Scotland."

"Do they know where she is?"

Dumbledore gave a bitter laugh. "I doubt it. I unfortunately know from experience Minerva's family wouldn't be exactly upset if she failed to show up during the summers anymore."

Melanie frowned and Dumbledore sighed and explained. "Her parents had her committed to an institution in Scotland at age eight because they thought she was possessed; her magic frightened them into becoming paranoid and destructive. When she came to Hogwarts she flourished. She is the most well-known and powerful Transfiguration prodigy since myself. I believe she will soon surpass my skills at her age. But the happiness was short lived; Grindelwald came and began to target Muggleborns. Minerva is young, beautiful, and powerful and she is close to me. She didn't even stand a chance."

"How did the Blackcoats get their hands on her?" Melanie asked.

Dumbledore bent down to pick up a smooth stone from the edge of the forest line and threw it swiftly towards the tree line. "We continued to let the children go into Hogsmeade under the impression that the Aurors and the barriers would hold off any backlash from the Blackcoats. They came anyways and were trying to bait a handful of the younger children, mostly third year Muggleborns who hadn't been to the town before. Minerva and her friends stepped in to help and several of the men recognized Minerva. There was a struggle and two of the Blackcoats ended up dead, but they took her anyways."

"She's just a little kid," Melanie breathed.

"So are you," Dumbledore said quietly.

Melanie didn't answer as they began to walk back towards the camp tents. The new information about the girl in her tent swirled around in her mind, opening up questions that she wasn't sure she wanted answered.

"Kitten? KITTEN?"

The man was thin and tall long scars clawed down his face. He wore a ratty tee shirt with long oversized pant. His arm was wrapped in a sling and an eye patch covered his left eye. His hair was chestnut and long with knots. Dumbledore and Melanie ran over to the three nurses who were trying to hold him back and sedate him, but Dumbledore waved them off.

"Steady, m'boy, can you tell me what's wrong? What's your name?"

"'t's Lewis," he said distractedly. "I need to find Kitten. You need to help me, please we have to get her."

"Easy, easy. Who are you looking for?" Dumbledore eased the man down on to the ground with a calm, but concerned look. His aura seemed to leak with calm and openness. The man, maybe in his mid-twenties took to it like a starved lion.

The man wilted against the tree stump and ran his ragged shirt sleeve over his eyes. He looked around wildly and for a moment Melanie wondered if he even knew where he was. Then he turned around and focused on Dumbledore's face.

"Kitten, you have to find her," he said clearly. "Dark, dark hair. Little faerie of a girl. Eyes, big green eyes." His hands shook. "You have to go back and find her. Macnair was looking for her," he breathed horror struck.

Dumbledore straightened. "Wallace Macnair, Grindelwald's Deputy?" he said, his voice no longer as calm. His blue eyes darkened.

"He … _bothered_ her," Lewis said with a scowl. "And then he came for her and the two just disappeared, gone, poof. But she's not dead. They couldn't kill her," he gave a nervous giggle, "she just wouldn't die. He knew she was important like that." The man was moving back into hysteria quickly. Dumbledore knelt before him and place two sturdy hands on his shoulder.

"I need you to stay with me, Lewis, can you do that?" he said carefully.

"Kitten," he repeated again weakly.

"He's looking for Minerva," Melanie said, her tongue thick in her mouth. The man made the young Auror skittish.

"Minerva?" the man repeated, his eyes wide. "You mean you've seen her?"

"She's all right, Mister Lewis," Melanie said. "They've just been patching her up," she said, trying to give the man some peace.

"I have to see her," he said, trying to move to his feet, but Dumbledore stopped him.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Dumbledore said, pushing on his good shoulder to indicate for him to sit back down. "She's still not out of the woods yet and we don't want to overexcite her. How do you know Minerva?"

"She saved the lot of us," he said quietly. He looked out towards the other survivors in the grass. "In the first few weeks she kept us all sane. Never would tell us her name, guess she realized they knew how important she was and knew the rest of us weren't as strong as she was." He gave a bitter laugh. "We'd tell them anything thing they wanted to hear to make it all just stop."

There was a pause before, "Why were you imprisoned?" Melanie asked quietly.

Lewis looked up at her. His eyes were dark and empty. "After I left school, I went back to my village. I was Muggleborn and attended Salem in America. When I returned home before going to work for the Ministry, I fell in love with a Muggle girl I had known from my primary school days. _Karen_." His voice turned soft. "The Blackcoats found out and dealt with me and my wife."

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said gravely.

He chuckled bitterly and pulled up some grass at his feet in despair. "You never think you'll make it out of a place like that. There's nothing but death there. Death and darkness. Then she showed up. Something about her. I don't know if it was her eyes or youth. Something about her gave us all hope."

Albus smiled sadly at the man's assessment of his mentee. Lewis turned his face back up towards Dumbledore.

"You're the one she was waiting for."

Melanie wrinkled her nose confused and turned to look at Dumbledore. He however didn't look confused. His eyes intensified and his hand sagged on the man's shoulder.

"She knew you would come for her. No matter what, we tried to convince her no to keep that kind of false hope. I thought it was just 'cause she was a kid. You know how naïve they can be. But she wasn't wrong. You came for her."

"Not fast enough," Dumbledore whispered desolately.

_ *The Great War 1944*_

Melanie and Albus spent the rest of the day talking to the other prisoners, gathering intelligence about Minerva from the different survivors. All the survivors told the same sad little story. When they returned to the tent, Dumbledore moved to sit with Minerva, whispering in her ear and holding her hand sadly, but lovingly for a long time.

Melanie left them to their privacy and went to brief Moody on the news she had discovered. When she came back to the tent, Minerva was alone, sitting up on the bed, reading through some of the textbooks they had found in the prison.

Some of the older Aurors who seemed to have a soft spot for the girl, were scoping through the prison when they found some of the smallest clothes for her to wear. Though they were still largely gaping off her little body, they looked better than the one large shirt she had been wearing like a dress the last week.

"Hey," Melanie said with an awkward smile. She perched lightly on the edge of the bed. "I know I have no reason to be here and I know you know why Moody's wants someone with you all the time. You're much, much smarter than he gives you credit for. I just want to be honest with you. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to.

"We've been talking to some of the other survivors; the things you did for them, that hope that you gave them, you deserve so much more than being used as a pawn. If you want to talk, then we can talk about anything you want. If not then we can just sit around or play chess, whatever makes you feel better. Perhaps we can even be friends."

The offer for friendship was there and Minerva gave Melanie a small smile and slipped her hand into Melanie's, accepting it.


	4. Checkmate

**A/N: All characters and places belong to J.K. Rowling and affiliates. Only the plot line and OC's belong to me. There have been a lot of questions about what happened previous to the first chapter and some comments on how Minerva is a little too perfect. Patience dear readers. Minerva has a little dark secret yet to be revealed. In this chapter we learn a little more about Lewis and Minerva and the next chapter will recount the events of how Dumbledore and the others invaded the prisons. The more reviews I get, the faster I update. Enjoy and please review.**

_ *The Great War 1944*_

Minerva and Melanie sat on the grass outside on a thick blanket. The prisoners didn't seem to mind the cold as much as the Aurors. Melanie reasoned it was the freedom over the air around them that made them all want to stay outside as long as possible.

The Transfiguration prodigy had taken an immediate liking to one of Melanie's teammates, the tall and muscular, Kingsley Shacklebolt. The dark skinned Auror was only a few year out of Hogwarts and remembered Minerva as the shy little First Year from the back of his NEWT Transfiguration class. He was much more comfortable around the silent girl and often made her smile.

"May I ask you something?" Melanie said, leaning over to Lewis. They sat a little farther away from Minerva and Kingsley with a handful of the others on the blanket.

The man looked up from the game and inclined his head. "Only if I may ask one in return," he said calmly.

Melanie smirked and nodded. "That's fair," she agreed. "Why Kitten?"

The name brought a smile to Lewis' lips. He stretched slightly in the grass and turned to face the young Auror.

"The first night in the cell, after they threw her in with the lot of us, she moved back to the corner of the cell. It was dark and freezing in there. I can still smell the death burnt into the walls. She curled up in the corner of the cell, away from the rest of us. We normally sought comfort in a group, harder to pick us off, I guess. She didn't seem comfortable with the big pile of bodies. She jus' stayed in the corner, to settle herself I think. To think maybe.

"Halfway through the night, there was a quiet _pop_ that woke me up. I looked up and 'stead of the little girl, there was baby cat. Since she wouldn't tell us her name, I called her Kitten. Fitting I suppos' at the time. After that, it jus' kind of stuck."

Melanie nodded, committing every part of the story to her memory.

"When can we go home?"

Melanie's eyebrow puckered and her heart sank at the question. She felt Lewis' eyes on her as she struggled to deliver the bad news.

"We have orders from the Minister of Magic that we have to hold down the fort, no one gets in or out of the perimeters until we've gone through all of the prison and finish talking to the Blackcoats we captured. We want to be able to care for the injured before we take anyone home. The press has been all over the event and we're not letting anything slip until we know all the details of the entire operation. Moody thinks we can use the information we find here to help get a location on Grindelwald and hopefully defeat him."

Lewis nodded dejectedly and fingered the gauze around his arm. "Got yeh," he said quietly. "Can't be good though, for her I mean, to stay here without her friends and family."

Melanie's eyes found Minerva, her pale slender hand moving one of her black knights up the board, taking out Kingsley's pawn.

"It's not good for any of you, but there's nothing we can do about it at the moment. I wish I could tell you something else. Where…where will you go? After you're released I mean?"

The man gave a heavy sigh.

"To make peace with my wife. I have friends from school in the States that I can stay with before I can get back on my feet. Will Kitten go back to her family?"

Melanie shook her head. "Back to Hogwarts I think. Her family's in Scotland. I don't know if they know about…" she trailed off. "Dumbledore will know what's best for her. He'll take care of her.

"Yeah," he said with a tone Melanie didn't quite recognize. "I'm sure he will."

Just as the two were moving to rejoin the group watching the chess game, the auburn hair professor they were just discussing walked into view.

"Kingsley, m'boy, you're not honestly playing against Minerva, are you? She'll take you for all you're worth within minutes," Dumbledore said, coming to sit on the ground next to his student.

She smiled up at him and he gave her a gentle curve of his lips in return.

"I'm afraid so, sir," Shacklebolt said with a concentrated frown on his lips. "I should have thought this through before challenging your mentee shouldn't I? I remember you used to be quite the chess player yourself."

Dumbledore inclined his head slightly. "I'm afraid, Miss McGonagall has far surpassed her teacher in this area. Ooh, she's got you in quite the trap doesn't she?"

"Eer, bishop to D4?" Kingsley said hesitantly.

Minerva eyes sparked slightly and her hand slipped from petting the grass around her to her black queen, which made short work of Kingsley's king, leaving it in a pile of rubble on the square. The rest of the black pieces erupted in an animated hurrah.

"Ouch Shacklebolt, that was ugly," Melanie quipped, laughing at the glare her teammate sent her across the blanket. Dumbledore smiled at the encounter.

"Checkmate."

Melanie's mouth sagged.

The rest of those on the blanket went silent and Minerva looked up from the chess board innocently. Dumbledore smiled broadly and squeezed her hand gently.

"Well done, Minerva."

"Mister Caverly, this is the lot of them."

The group looked up to see Alastor Moody, ragged at ever, standing next to a well-dressed man with navy robes and a M ministry pin next to his pocket.

He had close cropped blonde hair with a few strands of gray in his military cut and sharp brown eyes with a steely stare that made Melanie uncomfortable.

"This Albus Dumbledore, the Junior Auroring Squad, and Minerva McGonagall. Dumbledore, this is Michael Caverly, the Secretary to the Minster of Magic. He's here to conduct some interviews about the eradication of Nurmengard."

Caverly extended a hand towards the Transfiguration professor. "Dumbledore, pleasure to finally meet you. I wish it was under different circumstances."

"And you, Mister Caverly."

The man turned towards Minerva and knelt down to extend his calloused hand towards her. There was a coldness in his gaze towards her.

"Miss McGonagall, it's truly a gift to meet you. I've heard quite a lot about you."

Melanie leaned forward, waiting for the raven hair girl to say something else, but her lips gently closed and the wild fear at the sight of him seemed to quiet. She shook the man's hand timidly before folding her arm around her torso.

Dumbledore seemed to notice her discomfort and rose to his feet. "Well let's get that interview done then, shall we, Mister Caverly?"

"Of course, after you, professor. Good to meet you Miss McGonagall, Aurors. Keep up the good work."


	5. Battle

**A/N: All characters and places belong to J.K. Rowling and affiliates. Only the plot line and OC's belong to me. A nice long chapter since there was a bit of a wait. This time we get a little more background on the battle, Minerva and Dumbledore, and Caverly. If you like this story check out my other HP story with Minerva "The Eyes of the Tempest Part One: Head Girl". It's just started up but is a great read. The more reviews I get, the faster I update. Enjoy and please review.**

_*The Great War 1944*_

"Okay Professor, everything from this point on will be on record for the Ministry of Magic. Please try to answer all the questions truthfully and to the best of your abilities. Are you ready?"

Dumbledore tore his eyes from the scribbling levitating quill and nodded confidently, though his insides were thumping loudly. "Of course, Mister Caverly, whenever you're ready."

The man nodded once and settled in his chair. "Albus Percival Wilfric Brian Dumbledore. Thirty two years of age. Professor and Deputy Head Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Tell me about the events leading up to the morning you stormed Nurmengard Prison."

Dumbledore nodded smoothly.

"I left my teaching post shortly before the beginning of the second term at Hogwarts. I had been in correspondence with several of the Head Aurors," he inclined his head towards Moody who stood in the shadows, "and by that time we thought we had narrowed down one of Grindelwald's strong hold, his main prison."

"What made you decide that I was time for you to become more involved in the war? I recall the Minister had come to you on several occasions for you to leave and come out into the field but you refused," Caverly said accusingly.

_Dumbledore sat in his office, motionlessly. Unopened letters and papers littered his floors. Open books and torn maps were thrown open everywhere. The window was open and a pile of strewn leaves had settled on his bookshelves. _

_Fawkes let out a long, mournful note, but nothing seemed to rouse the auburn haired man from his mourning. A shorter wizard with a short, full beard stood in front of him. _

"_Albus, you need to do something. You're destroying yourself. You need to eat, sleep, something. There was nothing you could have done for her, Albus._

_With a rapidly beating heart, Albus jolted to his feet. Heavy bag under his eyes and crinkled, dirty clothes made him look even older. _

"_I have to find her."_

"_Albus," Dippet said gently. "You don't even know where she is … if she's even alive."_

"_She's alive. I know she is. If she wasn't … I … I would feel it. Magic has a way of transmitting life. Our magic is tied tightly enough through her apprenticeship … I would know. I'd just know. I have go, Armando."_

Dumbledore rapidly blinked to clear his thoughts.

"It had come to my attention that Grindewald's motives were escalading and that there was no hope of anyone else stopping him. It was time for greater actions and attention. The Ministry needed someone who knew what Grindelwald was like, how he thoughts and planned. That person was me."

Caverly ran a hand through his hair and glanced back down at the folded piece of parchment in his hand. When he looked back up, his eyes were cruel and cold.

"So your decision had nothing to do with the disappearance and abduction of Minerva McGonagall?"

Moody bristled slightly behind Caverly. "Partly," Albus said democratically. "Her abduction from Hogsmeade was a wakeup call to just how far and how bold the Blackcoats and even Grindelwald himself had become in just the few months he had drawn to the Continent and Hogwarts."

"_Albus?" Galatea Merrythought stood in Dumbledore's doorway as he stood copying note on the blackboard. "Albus, there's something you need to hear."_

"_I don't have time for another lecture on the rulebook, Galatea. I'm afraid I've run out of patience at the moment."_

_The normally brazen witch stood quietly at the door. "Albus, I'm so sorry. I just was trying to talk to her and she ran. By the time I caught up with her in Hogsmeade, they had already taken her."_

_The chalk in Dumbledore's hand slipped and crackled on the stone floors. _

"_What?" he said dangerously. _

"_Some of the seventh years saw it. She put up quite a fight. She killed one, injured two others, but there were just too many. We think the Blackcoats were waiting for students to come past the borders. There's nothing anyone could do."_

_Albus whirled around, magic crackling off him in reds and golds. "No Muggleborns were supposed to be allowed past the boundaries, let alone into Hogsmeade. Why were you talking to her without me? You had no right to upset her!" Angry tears dribbled down his cheek and Galatea's eyes got wide._

"_I'm sorry, Albus, truly. She's gone."_

"What's the nature of your relationship with Miss McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore?"

"She's my apprentice."

"It's very rare to have such a young apprentice, isn't it? Why her? What's so special about Miss McGonagall? You could have any pick of your stock fresh from a graduate program of good stock, good foundations of master level knowledge …"

Dumbledore smirked and straightened in his chair. "You mean why of all the students I had begging for apprenticeships, did I choose a fifteen year old, Muggleborn girl from the coastline of Scotland?"

"Steady there, Albus," Moody snapped warningly. Caverly cleared his throat and began to correct him, but Dumbledore raised a hand slightly, still smiling.

"I chose her because I had never met someone, myself included, with such a gift in Transfiguration. It had nothing to do with her linage, or her schooling, in had all to do with her magic and her heart."

Slightly chastised, Caverly glanced down at the still scribbling quill.

"When did you first make contact on the sight for the prison?"

"We had an inside source from one of the outlying Auroring allies in Germany that there was a prison with a lot of magical barriers, an unusual amount of activity. We went out and found a prison with the movement of over two dozen Blackcoats within it."

"_This must be it," Moody whispered, from beside Dumbledore in the vegetation. There was the bluish, clear crackling of the barriers around an ugly, large, and fore boarding gray structure. "I have six watchtowers, all have look outs. Three magical and anti-apparations barriers. Looks like we have five or six levels of cells."_

_There was a quiet pause. Both men were dressed in dark boots and camouflage uniforms. They had forsaken their black robes to stay hidden among the tree line, even with invisibility cloaks. _

"_Albus?"_

"_We need a plan, we're only going to have one shot at this. We have to get more people here," Albus breathed back to his. Leaves and twigs were caught in his beard and the large tree and bush limbs were poking him in the back. _

_He didn't seem to notice as he stared, transfixed at the structure in front of him. _

"_Dumbledore?"_

"_She should be in there."_

"_Steady there, mate, we gotta get in first. Then we can rescue all of them. No one gets left behind."_

"According to the transcripts provided to the Ministry, you and thirty two other Aurors stormed the prison at 4:38 AM on the morning of January 21st. You disarmed the barriers one by one, drawing the Blackcoats to the edge of the perimeter. You then split into three groups and each took a wing. According to the plans, you chose the time with the lease amount of Blackcoats to break it, correct?"

Dumbledore nodded and folded his hands in his lap, hiding their slight quake. "To minimize the captive causalities, yes."  
The blue quill seemed to make note of this. "We managed to overcome the Blackcoats rather easily. The whole battle took less than a few hours in all."

_Albus' blue spell hit one of the Blackcoats directly in the chest and he stumbled onto the stone walls, quiet. _

"_That seems to be all of them here, Dumbledore," Moody called over his him, blood smeared to the right side of his face. "Hills said they caught the rest of them trying to burn the documents. They managed to save most of them."_

"_Have we located any of the captives?" Albus called, but Moody just shook his head._

"_Sir, you need to see this," one of the junior Aurors called from the other side of the hall._

"Grindelwald wasn't there, but we had reason to suspect Macnair, his right hand man, was in charge of the prison. He managed to escape as well," Dumbledore said.

"What did you find there, other than the documents that our analysts are going over now?"

Albus swallowed and drew quiet. "I've never seen anything like it. I've been to war, but nothing like this. Bodies, half decomposed and decapitated laid everywhere. Blood and dirt smeared the wall. The whole building stank of death and decay. When we finally found some of the captured, they were tortured, beaten, half dead, and starved…"

"_What is it, Shacklebolt?" Moody snapped as they followed the black skinned Auror. _

"_Sir, we found…" the Auror trailed off and the sight took away Albus' breath. The large cell was filled with a dozen people. Men and women lined the walls, dirty and beaten. Black and blue bruises and open cut and sores were visible from across the room. There were two unmoving bodies in the corner, haphazardly thrown into the corner. _

_When they entered some of the prisoners looked up with wonderstruck looks and gaping mouths. Albus searched their faces in vain for the one he was seeking. _

"_There are rooms full of them, sir," Shacklebolt said quietly, leaning down to help one of the older men up to his feet carefully. "We're trying to get the Healers to as many as we can, but … a lot of them are beyond help."_

"_Good man, Shacklebolt. Try to help them as much as you can," Albus said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder._

_The air was thick and disgusting and the temperature freezing. There was hysterical crying and half a dozen language filtering through his head, as his heart craved for a single laugh, sprinkled with a Gaelic accent. _

"_Albus?" Moody shouted. "ALBUS! They found her. She's in the top cell!" Dumbledore apparated without a second's hesitation._

_She looked so small, alone is a gray, stone box. He fell to his knees at her side as the others crowded around her. a too large shirt covered her body, her skin was frozen to the touch. _

"_Minerva?" he called softly to her. _

_He pulled her tiny body onto his lap. His heart rapidly accelerated as he tried to vain to find a pulse. Her hair was tangled in a messy plaited braid. Her cheeks were gaunt and pale. He could feel every one of her ribs through the shirt. Bruises and long, thin cuts marred her skin. He could see heavy burn marks over her once perfect skin. _

_He felt his stomach twist in his body and he fought the urge to vomit. Blood, some still wet, others black and dried, was soaked through her hair and flannel of the shirt. _

"_Minerva? Minerva? Can you hear me? Oh Merlin, Minerva I need to you wake up, open your eyes for me!"_

_He felt a hand on his shoulder. Alastor's. He jerked away. Tears struggled to remain at bay. _

"_Minerva? I need to focus on my voice. Minerva, listen to me. I need you to open your eyes, please."_

_There was silence as no one moved in the cell. Just as he was about to speak again, there was a flittering of movement across her face. Her translucent eye lids fluttered and large green eyes were exposed. _

_They seemed unsure and cloudy, but as she fixed on Dumbledore, they seemed to clear. _

_Dumbledore felt his heart jump. "That's great, my dear. Keep your eyes open for me, dear heart. It's all going to be okay. You're safe you, safe."_

As Albus finished describing the scene, trying to push the battered and beaten memory of Minerva from his head, and the quill finished dictating his words, Caverly cleared his throat. "Thank you for your support in this matter, Professor. The Ministry thanks you for your bravery and skills."

Dumbledore ignored him. "How much longer is the Ministry going to keep everyone here? I'm sure the families are anxious to see their loved ones."

Caverly seemed unconcerned. "As soon as we get cleared and take stock of the full situation. It may be a little while."

"Will you be staying, Caverly?" Moody said swiftly, cutting off Albus' reply. The men stood as proceeded through the entrance of the tent where the sun was setting over the camp.

"For a little while I think, Moody, I still have to get the accounts of the prisoners and the other Aurors. We need to have a clear picture before releasing anything to press or letting out letters into the world. This is a big victory for the Light and we want to have all our ducks in a row."

"Of course."

The man bid both men a good evening and casually walked over to the groups of prisoners and Aurors, note and quill in his hand.

"Never liked him," Moody said gruffly as he and Albus parted ways.

He found her sitting on her bed, nimble fingers coursing over the books they had found for her in the prison. Melanie was sitting quietly in the corner, scratching away on parchment. She only briefly glanced up at him before turning back down to the paper, focused.

Minerva looked up to him and smiled. He didn't return it, but anxiously sat down on the bed, pulling her close to him, relishing in the warmth of her body and the rhythm of her beating heart.

The girl didn't seem shocked or surprised, nor did she speak. She simply let him hold her, lying her head on his shoulder. The smell of her hair filling his senses.

For the first time since Melanie had met them, the student comforted her professor.


End file.
